Stainless steel Apple Watch rumoured to run $500, with gold version priced at $5,000?

Some more gossip has popped up on the subject of how Apple will price the tastier versions of its upcoming smartwatch.

According to a French tech site, iGen.fr (via Mac Rumors), the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch might start at the $500 (£310) mark, whereas the gold Edition model will start at around $4,000 to $5,000 (£2,500 to £3,100).

This ties in with previous speculation that the 18-karat gold smartwatch will be very pricey, and indeed John Gruber mentioned a figure of five grand just after the device had been unveiled in September. He reckoned the stainless steel version could run to $1,000 (£630) though, double what iGen.fr has suggested – and we think the French site could be closer to the money here.

At any rate, it's certainly starting to look like the gold watch will be a truly high-end timepiece, which wouldn't be a bad move from Apple in terms of making it a real status symbol.

The French site is, however, still saying that sources are insisting Apple is going for a February (Valentine's Day) launch, despite the fact that at the start of this week we heard a spring (late March or April) release is on the cards according to a leaked message from Angela Ahrendts, the Vice President of Retail and Online Stores at Apple.

We're thinking April ourselves, as Apple will want to get this device right, and apparently the battery is still something they need to work on (perhaps honing charging time, rather than actual longevity at this point).